Homeless Man Bursts Into Tears After Finding Out Strangers Raised Over $15,000 For Him to Buy a House
When was the last time you did something for someone else, expecting nothing in return?
After a recent college graduate befriended a local homeless man, he went above and beyond to change the life of a homeless man.
Phillip Vu is a 24-year-old vlogger, who commits himself to spreading positivity.
After Vu graduated from college, he traveled the world and started to work a secure job at a bank.
He quickly left his full-time job and opted instead to travel again, this time with the mission of helping people while sharing the content on his social media accounts.
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It was on his newfound mission that Vu met Mike in New Haven, Connecticut.
Mike first approached the vlogger’s car, trying to wash his windshield for some extra cash before the upcoming winter.
Though Vu declined, he invited Mike into his car to share falafel sandwiches, and the two began a long conversation about their respective lives. Vu began recording the chat, ultimately uploading the conversation to his YouTube channel.
Mike revealed that he became homeless after his mother died in 2020 and that he had spent nearly 22 years in jail. Vu traded his own story about his family immigrating from Vietnam and his path from the corporate world to traveling and vlogging.
Vu even shared that he was sleeping on the streets for a few months after his father passed away while traveling the world unsure of his next move.
Even though the two seem opposites on the surface– they were able to connect in a beautiful way.
The Initial Encounter Between a Homeless Man and YouTube Vlogger
An emotional moment occurs when Vu states talking about his own mental health to Mike.
“I feel like I have everything I ever wanted in life,” says Mike — before sharing a story of watching a man overdose on the streets of New York City on Christmas.
It is remarkable how relaxed and open the two are upon meeting, and how their conversation– when shared publicly– touched so many. The video was added to Vu’s Youtube account, where he shares many stories like this one. It is also where he continued documenting his relationship with Mike, surprising many with his next move.
Vu took to his social media audience to raise money for Mike, struck by the man’s kindness. His followers came through in a massive way, raising over $15,000 for the stranger via Venmo donations and a Go Fund Me campaign. A friend of Vu’s even got a sports store to gift Mike a whole collection of warm clothes.
Vu decided to surprise Mike with the news on the Chinese New Year, visiting him in New Haven where they first crossed paths. “Let me donate back to you,” says Vu — offering him a staggering amount of cash through strangers‘ donations.
Vu’s mission is a testament to the pure side of social media.
What started out as a simple invitation to share a sandwich between a homeless man and a YouTuber, turned into a powerful trajectory of changing someone’s life, with the help of a loyal online community.
This level of selflessness is truly inspiring, and a testament to the good still out in the world. We truly never know what someone else is going through, and the simple decision to keep an open mind and listen to someone can take everyone involved to unexpected places.
